The Sports Xchange

The Buffalo Bills signed journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson with starter Tyrod Taylor battling a sore ankle. The team also released kicker Billy Cundiff.

Bills head coach Rex Ryan said Monday that Taylor has been dealing with an ankle injury all season, a day after the quarterback took several hits while rushing for 76 yards in a 14-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

“I can tell you this,” Ryan said Monday. “Tyrod is beat up right now. You should see him. He is sore, we knew he would be. We haven’t really seen Tyrod at 100 percent.”

EJ Manuel became Taylor’s primary backup after Matt Cassel was traded to the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 22.

Johnson, 29, was signed and released by Indianapolis each of the past two weeks with Colts quarterback Andrew Luck missing two games due to a sore shoulder.

A fifth-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2008, Johnson has started five of 29 career NFL games while also spending time with San Francisco, Cleveland, Cincinnati and the New York Jets. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder has completed 96 of 177 career passes for 1,042 yards, five touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Cundiff was signed last week ostensibly to handle kickoffs after Jordan Gay was released, but also to provide insurance in case veteran place-kicker Dan Carpenter’s slump continued. Cundiff failed to produce a touchback in three opportunities against the Titans, while Carpenter made both of his extra-point attempts in his only action Sunday.

Cundiff is a career 76.6 percent field-goal kicker and is 35 years old. Carpenter is a career 84.3 percent kicker, and is 29.